Alice Englert

Alice Englert, born Alice Allegra Englert on 15 June 1994 in Sydney, Australia, is a multifaceted talent known primarily for her work as an actress and, more recently, as a film director. The daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion and Australian director Colin Englert, she grew up surrounded by the cinematic and theatrical worlds, counting actress Edith Campion and theatre director Richard Campion among her grandparents. Her peripatetic childhood—spanning schools in Australia, New Zealand, New York, Rome, London and even a Quaker school in Oxfordshire—gave her a cosmopolitan outlook that she often credits for her artistic sensibility and her love for both Australian and New Zealand cultures. She made her first screen appearance at the age of eight in the film Listen, and soon after, at twelve, appeared in her mother’s short film The Water Diary, demonstrating an early comfort in front of the camera. After a period of varied education and travel, Englert left high school to pursue acting full‑time, landing her breakout role in the critically praised coming‑of‑age drama Ginger & Rosa (2012), where her nuanced performance captured the turbulence of teenage friendship during the Vietnam era. She followed this with a string of diverse projects, including the low‑budget horror In Fear (2013), the supernatural romance Beautiful Creatures (2013)—for which she contributed the original song “Needle and Thread”—and supporting parts in acclaimed series such as Ratched (2020). More recent highlights include her work in Jane Campion’s Oscar‑winning western The Power of the Dog (2021) and the folk‑horror film You Won’t Be Alone (2022), underscoring her ability to navigate both indie and mainstream narratives. In 2023, Englert stepped behind the camera to write and direct the dark comedy Bad Behaviour, earning a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and solidifying her reputation as an emerging filmmaker. Throughout her career, she has consistently combined acting, singing, and now directing, reflecting a creative drive that mirrors the artistic legacy of her family while forging a distinct path of her own.